


Live Another Day

by MrsBond007 (Lavenderfreak)



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: AU, Age down James Bond, Background James Bond and Sebastian Ronson, Canon, Canon Era, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Dark Character, Dark Crack, F/M, Fills the gap between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, Hate to Love, International Fanworks Day 2021, James Bond Angst, James Bond Backstory, James Bond Being James Bond, James Bond Being an Asshole, James Bond Breaks In, James Bond Can Cook, James Bond Flirts, James Bond Has Issues, James Bond Is A Menace, James Bond Needs a Hug, James Bond References, James Bond being a jerk, Jealous James Bond, M being Mom, M's backstory, Major Original Character(s), Mild Smut, Minor Canonical Character(s), Non-Canon Relationship, On-Again/Off-Again Relationship, Original Bond Girl - Freeform, Original Character(s), POV James Bond, Post-Canon, Post-Quantum of Solace, Pre-Skyfall, Prequel, Protective James Bond, Relationship(s), Romance/Action, Slight Canon Divergence, Spy - Freeform, Spy Missions, The World Is Not Enough - Freeform, World Travel, mild AU, offbeat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28685643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavenderfreak/pseuds/MrsBond007
Summary: James Bond along with Sebastian Ronson is one step closer to uncovering the secret organization behind Quantum and getting the hard drive in a mission that leads them from Zurich to Monte Carlo to Amsterdam. However, standing in their way are James' old enemy Mr. White and a beautiful heiress, with a connection to M that holds an important clue. As Bond and the heiress begin to connect, will he keep his promise to M? And has he finally met the love of his life? Wonder what James Bond was up to during the gap between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall and how he became involved in the opening events of Skyfall? Wonder no longer.
Relationships: James Bond/Madeleine Swann, James Bond/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Mr. White

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a mild AU that is suppose to take place between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall and shows how Bond and Ronson got the list that Skyfall opens up with.
> 
> Think of this story as loosely based on "The World is Not Enough" but with Craig's Bond.

Live Another Day

Prologue:

“James Bond is dead,” declared M to a pretty young woman that rainy night. “I'm sorry to have to tell you this, I know you two were close.”

“How did this happen,” stammered the young woman?

“Due to the classified nature of his work; I can’t tell you that.”

“Cut it out Olivia, I know this has to do with that hard drive that has the list on it, which you only got hold of because of me and my father. And James was with me when he was called away to Istanbul to help Ronson because someone was after the hard drive.”

“Someone got the hard drive with the list, Ronson was killed and James was killed pursuing the person who got the hard drive.”

“My God, where’s the hard drive now,” the young woman asked as she was trying to stifle back tears?

“We don’t know,” replied M shortly. “Here is the obituary I wrote for him and as always I expect this to be kept in strict confidence.”

The woman nodded her head yes, “I can’t believe he’s gone the last thing I said to him was that he could go to hell, it was my way of telling the bastard I loved him!”

Three Months Earlier:

Chapter One: Mr. White

James Bond was annoyed, which wasn’t exactly hard for him. He could become annoyed easily, he hated when people made a big fuss of things. A billionaire British investment banker dying on a Swiss Mountain because of a skiing accident seemed more of a natural fact of life than a major news story. But at last that’s what the news seem to be focusing on was the untimely death of the banker and that his daughter was now one of the richest women in the world. Just as James turned off the TV, a picture of the daughter a pretty girl fresh out of university flashed across the screen. Though he liked rich things Bond hated rich people, he thought they felt like the world owed them something.

Bond left his flat and jumped in his beloved 1964 Ashton Martin and drove to MI6 headquarters. Bond’s sour mood had less to do with his mere annoyance at the news focusing on the death of a man, Bond thought was too rich for his own good and more on the fact Bond recognized him from somewhere. As he sped along, he combed through the files of his mind trying to figure out where he knew the banker from. Suddenly, it hit him as he had to slam on his breaks to avoid hitting the car in front of him. He was one of the members from Quantum who Bond identified with his phone at the opera in Austria a few years back. Nothing had ever come out of one of the world’s richest men being identified as a member of the ultra-secretive organization. As Bond entered the parking garage of MI6 he thought, if this man was in Quantum, his death was no accident!

Moments later Bond burst into M, Olivia Mansfield’s office, she was talking with Bill Tanner and Sebastian Ronson, another agent. “You wanted to see me ma'am,” he asked? He then cried, “Jasper Rose was a member of Quantum, an investigation into his death could give us more answers on Quantum.” Though it had been years MI6 had still been unable to unmask Quantum and discover who they were and what they were after.

M gave Bond a blank stare before replying, “a little behind the eight ball aren’t we 007 that is exactly what I wanted to speak to you about, I thought you would recognize Rose from the opera. Two days ago before he died Rose reached out to the minister of defense, they were old friends at Oxford, saying he was a part of an organization called Quantum that was planning an attack on MI6. He said he had information on this attack but he unfortunately was killed before he could pass the information along. First and foremost, we need to get that information, he did say it was in his safe deposit box at the Swiss bank in Zurich. His daughter Lavender Rose is going to Switzerland tomorrow to take care of his personal affairs. For obvious reasons since there is a beautiful young woman involved, I was going to have Ronson here go to Switzerland and try to get this information from her as well as provide protection,” M declared, she hated Bond's womanizing. “If Quantum killed her father, they’ll be after her next. I decided I'll send you as well given your experience with Quantum. You are to report to Switzerland tomorrow. Ronson you may go!” Ronson got up, looked at Bond and left.

“Why do you need to talk to me for,” growled James?

“Bond, we need Ms. Rose to hand over this information, I need you to keep your mind on the mission and your hands off of Ms. Rose, are we clear?”

“Yes we’re clear, don’t worry she’s not my type.”

“Oh 007, I wish I could believe that but they’re all your type. That’s all 007, good luck!”

James stood up and slowly buttoned his jacket, he gave M a sly smile and said “Ma’am.”

The Next Day: Zurich, Switzerland

Bond impatiently paced back and forth at “Just Coffee,” a coffee house across the street from the Zurich headquarters of the Swiss Bank. They were monitoring the Swiss Bank as Lavender Rose was now inside opening her father’s safe deposit box. She had no idea that two MI6 agents were waiting outside for her. Also outside were half a dozen reporters. “You know she doesn’t seem that bad,” Ronson declared, as he munched on a doughnut, reading a copy of Vogue magazine, where Lavender Rose was on the cover. “She has founded several charitable organizations.”

Bond looked up and gave Ronson a long bored look before replying “what are you, the bloody president of her fan club? Her and her type are all the same,” spat out James.

“ You say that now,” sighed Ronson. “ What’s our plan of attack, how are we approaching her?”

“Working on it,” replied James as he crossed his arms.

Meanwhile inside the Swiss Bank, Lavender Rose was sitting at a table as a bank employee pushed a large box and a key towards her. “Your father’s safe deposit box Ms. Rose.” Lavender Rose was beautiful. She had long light brown hair with blonde highlights, mystical brown eyes and lush red, red lips. She took the key and opened it, as she was going to see what was inside, a loud bang was heard along with an accompanying flash of light streaking across the room. A bomb had gone off in the building! Lavender fell to the floor using her body to shield the box!

Seeing the bomb go off from across the street, Bond and Ronson began rushing towards the burning Swiss bank. Lavender with a cough looked up as smoke swirled around the room, she saw a man standing before her, holding out his hand. Lavender took his hand while still holding on to the box, once she was up the man, took a look at her before saying “hand over the box!”

“What, no it belonged to my father,” she declared. With this the man pulled out a gun and pressed it to her head and began to forcefully escort her and the box out of the burning chaotic building. Bond and Ronson had reached the burning scene, just as they were going to enter the inferno, Bond turned his head and saw the man with the gun to Lavender’s head forcing her into a SUV. The man turned his head and his eyes met Bond's ice blue eyes, Bond instantly recognized him as Mr. White! Bond began running towards White! White pushed Lavender into the car, jumped into the front seat! Bond began running after the SUV as it sped off!


	2. The World is not Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Billionaire member of Quantum with information of an attack on MI6 is dead, the only other person with access to the information is his beautiful daughter! James Bond and Sebastian Ronson are sent by M to Switzerland to retrieve the information and protect the beautiful heiress! When James Bond's old nemesis Mr. White appears on the scene the mission becomes more dangerous! Bond and the heiress soon connect, will James' cold heart finally be melted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of this as a modern "The World is Not Enough" with Craig's Bond.

Chapter Two: The World is not Enough

Running after the SUV James Bond turned to Ronson “we have to catch up with them!” A shocked Ronson nodded his head yes as he began to chase after James. For his part, James was losing ground as the SUV sped away. Knowing he was losing them, James found a solution as he espied a motorcycle parked outside of a nearby café. He quickly ran over to the motorcycle and began to hotwire it. As the motorcycle roared to life, James climbed on and then called to Ronson, “get on!” Ronson quickly caught up to Bond and hopped on the back! James began to speed after the quickly disappearing SUV!

Meanwhile as the SUV was trying to speed out of Zurich, Lavender, who was struggling with two of White’s goons in the back seat, cried “who are you? What do you want? Is it money you want, you can have it?”

Mr. White, who was sitting in the front passenger seat cried “Ms. Rose, we don’t want your money but you, actually the information you can provide us,” declared White. “This box here is useless without you, you are the key!” When getting Lavender into the car, White snatched the box away from her. “Your dearly departed father thought he was so clever, making you the only one that could access the information contained in this box! But now we have the box and you! It was a pity he was killed for nothing.”

“You killed my father?”

“Oh Ms. Rose don’t play dumb it doesn’t suit you,” snapped White. “Of course we killed your father. He was going to betray us?”

“Who’s we, who are you working for?”

“Ms. Rose, you’ll be the one answering the questions but not now. I think you need to rest before we get to Austria.” White looked over and gave a slight wink to the thug sitting next to Lavender. She soon saw a syringe looming above her neck about to administer a dose of a powerful sleeping drug, she snatched the syringe from the henchmen’s hands and without thinking stabbed it into his neck. As everyone in the car was shocked over what had just transpired, Lavender reached for the lock control on the front passenger side, pressed unlock and bolted out of the moving car.

“Look,” cried Ronson from the back of the motorcycle seeing the blue Burberry coat of Lavender flap in the wind as she ran away from the car. Bond turned the bike and began to follow Lavender as she ran from the street to a café. Just when she was going to go inside she felt a strong hand on her arm, she turned around and was now face to face with James and Ronson. “Oh I guess you want information from me too, at least your cuter than the last one,” she wrestled her arm away from James.

“We do but not here,” replied James reaching for her arm again.

“I like strange men as much as the next girl but no, I’m not coming with you, will you excuse me I have to go call the police.”

“Listen if you don’t come with us, those same men that just blew up the Swiss bank and kidnapped you and killed your father will kill you once they get what they want,” cried James.

“How do I know you won’t do the same thing?”

“If you don’t want to be killed, I suggest you come with us. We’re with the British ministry of defense, before his death your father reached out to us saying that those men that just kidnapped you, are going to attack the British government, information on the attack was in the safe deposit box you presumably got from the Swiss Bank,” explained James.

“On that thought where is the box,” quizzed Ronson?

“Sorry I was in fear for my life, so I jumped out of the car without any thought of it,” she said sarcastically.

What seemed like a flippant remark to James caused his blood to boil. Sorry? Sorry? Sorry? Try putting that in a sentence sorry that there is going to be an attack . Sorry millions of people could possibly be killed. You’re that kind of sorry,” James snapped, he was growing impatient with her.

“I don’t think you two know what’s truly going on here, the man that kidnapped me said that I was the key, that the information in the box would be useless without me. So I think it’s not a matter of if you trust me , I think it’s a matter of if I trust you and at this point I don’t.”

“We were sent to protect you,” pressed James.

She looked at him for a moment, his ice blue eyes locked with her brown eyes. “Well if you’re here to protect me, I guess I could use some security guards, my father was always trying to push security on me, never understood it but I guess it was to protect me from those psycho kidnappers. I am attending a charity fundraiser at a casino in Monte Carlo in Monaco in place of my father, he would have wanted me to go but I guess his so called friends might show up, I guess I can’t run away from them forever. Protect me tonight and I’ll tell you everything you want to know. But there’s another condition you must tell me who these psychos are that killed my father and what’s in that box that everyone wants so badly.”

“I hardly think you’re in a position to tell us what to do,” argued back James.

“ I don’t think you have a choice like that psycho that dragged me from the bank said I’m the key to unlocking all of this.”

“That psycho was Mr. White.”

“Oh is he a friend of yours?”

“He killed a friend of mine, just like he killed your father.”

“I’m sorry. And I know you think I’m probably some selfish rich girl but I have to know who I can trust and right now that’s very few people.”

“I know the feeling well, I trust no one.”

“M did tell us to protect her,” added Ronson.

“Hush,” cried James.

“ M, Mr. white, you know some interesting people. So you take your marching orders from a letter, so who does M answer to A? Come on cutie, what do you have to lose a free trip to Monaco on a private jet, no offense but you seem like you need a vacation.”

“It’s not a vacation I will be working but I suppose I could go if there is some chilled Bollinger champagne and beluga caviar on the plane.”

“Of course, always, Mr….” Lavender smiled.

“Bond, James, Bond.”

“Ma’am,” cried the captain of Lavender’s private plane four hours later, “we’re entering Monte Carlo air space.”

“Thank you,” replied Lavender as she turned away from the captain and turned to face Ronson and Bond, who after an intense fight agreed to tell Lavender about her father’s involvement in Quantum.

“So my father was a bad guy,” Lavender asked picking at the caviar.

“It’s not that black and white,” answered James.

“But you saw him at the opera with the other members of Quantum?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a bad man Mr. Bond?”

“ This is not really about me!”

“It is about you, I am trying to see if I can trust you or not,” she cried.

“It depends on your perspective,” he snapped.

“Madame wins,” said the dealer several hours later at the casino as claps were heard around the table, Lavender was all the talk at the fundraiser. Everyone had heard about the explosion at the Swiss Bank. Lavender wearing a red lace dress smiled triumphantly as she collected the chips. Suddenly James came to the poker table, “I would like to challenge Madame.” Lavender gave James a dirty look but proceeded to play the game with him.

“Now show,” cried the dealer again, an hour later, both James and Lavender had gone all in. Lavender pushed her cards to the dealer, the dealer looked at them and cried “three kings,” with this she smiled smugly at James. James then threw his cards on the table. “Trip aces,” cried the dealer. “Aces win.” James started scooping away Lavender’s chips. “You know Mr. Bond, ever since I was a kid, people would let me win because I was Lavender Rose, I guess that meant something but you didn’t care and I just lost ten million dollars to you. I think that shows something about what kind of man you are. If you were trying to trick me to hand over the information you would have let me win. It shows that you can be trusted. Shall we go up to my room and talk?” The casino was connected to the hotel, Lavender, James and Ronson were staying at for the evening.

“Certainly,” he then turned to the dealer and pointed to Ronson, “my friend can tell you where to send the winnings.”

He followed her up to her executive ocean view suite, which connected to the room Ronson and James were staying in. They were alone. She poured them glasses of champagne and then sat on the bed. “The night before he died my father called me up and told me, he had something important to tell me and I was to meet him at the house in Amsterdam, it was where he met my mother, she was his housekeeper before they married. Whatever is needed to access the information in that box is behind my mother’s portrait at the house in Amsterdam, I know it’s not that exciting but it’s what I know.”

“I guess we’re going to Amsterdam, such a pity I was beginning to like Monte Carlo,” declared James.

“But not tonight, Amsterdam will be there tomorrow,” replied Lavender seductively as she twisted a lock of her light brown hair.

"So what shall we do," Bond asked in a teasing manner?

"You choose," replied Lavender as she got up from the bed and gently kissed him on the lips!


	3. M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Bond breaks a promise to M and discovers that his latest love interest Lavender shares an unlikely connection to her! A message from the grave complicates the mission!

Chapter Three: M

James Bond was suddenly blinded by a bright light as he was instantly brought to consciousness. He was suddenly face to face with M. “Rise and shine 007,” M cried as she opened the blinds of the hotel room in Monte Carlo. “One simple request 007 and you couldn’t even do that, Christ! How could you be so stupid?”

“What the hell,” asked Lavender as she woke up next to James, rubbing her eyes. Seeing Lavender next to him, James was instantly brought back to the events the night before. Feeling her lips against his, he began to kiss her as well.

“We’ll see where this leads,” she said seductively standing on her tiptoes to play with his hair.

“How about we start with a nice martini?”

“Bit of a problem?”

“What?”

“I hate martinis.”

“ That’s because you never had a good one!”

He could see Lavender, minutes later on the bed sipping a Vesper martini, she looked like a goddess, “let me see if I got this straight,” she said in a low voice. “Three measures Gordon’s gin, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shaken over ice, then add a thin slice of lemon peel, six of them?”

“Yes correct, what do you think of it,” he asked with a smile?

“Delicious, maybe I misjudged martinis.”

“Perhaps.”

“Are you going to admit you misjudge me?”

“I don’t have enough information yet,” he said with a small smile

“Oh playing hard to get? Well I like you, I probably shouldn’t but…”

“No you shouldn’t.”

“Wow you’re a romantic,” she laughed as she got up from the bed and kissed him again. “Let me melt your cold heart,” she whispered in his ear in a conspiratorial tone.

“Ronson’s probably looking for you,” commented Lavender an hour later with her head resting on James’s chest.

“I think he’ll be fine, I’m where I need to be.”

“So you gentlemen are with MI6?”

“How do you figure that?”

“I’m not an idiot, God guys, you say you work for the ministry of defense, MI6 is apart of the ministry of defense.”

“No comment.”

“You see you just admitted it with your stupid no comment comment,” she giggled. “So who was Vesper?”

“How do you know about her?”

“You told me the martini was called the Vesper, I assume you named it after a girl.”

“We’re not talking about her,” he said smashing his lips against hers.

Lavender pulled away, “you’re not getting out of this one so easy, she broke your heart, she’s the reason you’re like this. She was the friend, that you said that Mr. White the psycho that kidnapped me, killed.”

“I don’t dwell on the past and you shouldn’t either,” he said biting her lips and then kissing her neck.

In the present, M turned to face Lavender. “Oh good you’re up as well Lavender!”

“Hello Olivia,” declared Lavender using much to James’ shock M’s real name.

“You two know each other, was this a trap,” James asked?

“Oh come off it 007, you flatter yourself too much and you have a bloody cheek thinking I would set this poor child up with you that’s the last thing I wanted.”

“I’m not a child Olivia, I’m the richest woman in the world, I knew it was you that sent them.”

“ Yes you are, as well as a smart arse, I did and Lavender I thought you had higher standards than him, he literally has no standards.”

“Oh Aunt Olivia don’t be so hard on him, he has to be one of the best agents if you sent him to protect me but why are you here?”

“Back up a second, Aunt?”

“Actually great aunt 007 and I’m here Lavender because your late father sent us a message from the grave!”

Upon this Lavender shot up in the bed with James asleep next to her. She was now fully awake. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room, it was just the two of them, her and James. M’s visit had been a dream, "M," she cried to herself!


	4. A Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Bond gets a rude awakening when he discovers that his latest love interest Lavender, is M's great niece and soon discovers that the connection M and Lavender share could not only affect the mission, but the world! When a secret of Lavender's is revealed, James Bond discovers he is one step closer to getting the hard drive with the list.

Chapter Four: A Secret

“James, James, James, wake up,” Lavender cried as she shook James awake. “What the bloody hell,” he cried , his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he started to reach for his gun. “Is Mr. White back?”

“No nothing like that,” she replied as they locked eyes.

“Then what’s so important in my line of work, you don’t get much of a chance for sleep, so you have to get it when you have the chance. But what is it, do you want to win your money back,” he asked in a teasing manner?

“Ha ha very funny, “ she giggled. “The M, that you and Ronson mentioned at the café, she’s your boss right?”

“That’s classified information,” James shot back.

“Hear me out, her real name is Olivia Mansfield right?”

Bond stiffened up, “What did your father tell you, who are you?”

“Cut the crap, I keep telling you I’m not just some little rich girl that just listens to daddy, for your information I did study law at Oxford.” At this James seized her arm, “I don’t bloody care about that, how do you know her name?”

“She’s my great aunt,” Lavender said in a matter of fact tone as she snatched away her arm.

“ Great aunt,” questioned James?

“Yes great aunt, she’s more like a grandmother though. I had a weird dream, that she came and confronted us, which would be something she would totally do. She never approved of my taste in men nor my mum’s. I can tell she would never approve of you. But you and Ronson are her favorites. I know she would only send the best to protect me.”

“Sounds like her, “ commented James off the cuff.

“So you believe me?”

“You’re getting warmer!”

“I knew she was high up in MI6 but I never knew what, I was just taking a wild guess that she was this M person but seeing your reaction I’m right. My mum was an only child and her parents died when she was young, Olivia took her in. And my mum wasn’t actually a housekeeper, not that being a housekeeper is a bad thing but she was a reporter. When she was in Amsterdam, she was undercover as a housekeeper, she was doing a story on the richest residents in Amsterdam. My Dad, who never loved anything instantly fell for her. Obviously Olivia didn’t approve, so they lost touch. I first met Olivia at mum’s funeral when I was seventeen, we became close. My father and I didn’t exactly have the best relationship. However, I too lost touch with Olivia over time. Towards the end of my time at University, my father and I were starting to become close again. She hated the man, she didn’t like that we were reconnecting. From what you told me on the plane, you sent her images of him at the Opera with his fellow Quantum members, she probably recognized him the second she saw him. Olivia being Olivia probably didn’t want to get personal feelings involved and she would never want to launch an investigation based on pure hate.”

“She always wanted one to remain emotionally detached,” commented James.

“That’s why she likes you so much, you have no emotion I can tell. I bet three weeks after this is all over you’re not even going to remember my name!”

“That will be kinda hard,” quipped James!

“Why is that?”

“You’re everywhere!”

At this Lavender smiled a smug smile, “I am Lavender Rose!”

“And that is supposed to mean something?”

“Because of who my father was and turned out to be it means nothing but maybe due to whatever’s in that box it will mean something again! I guess even Olivia can’t always remain emotionally unattached, that’s why she sent you to protect me. As for my father, she knew with him reaching out to the minister of defense, he would have never reached out to her, that in his own stupid way he was trying to do the right thing. She knew I was right that there was some good in him, this is her way of apologizing.” She stared at James for a moment. “So do you believe me?”

“I don’t disbelieve you, let’s put it that way.”

“There’s more. I wasn’t fully truthful with you.”

“Oh imagine that,” quipped James.

“Everyone keeps saying I’m the key, I didn’t really understand that until in my dream, M said she had a message from my father and then it snapped. I know in real life she didn’t know about this. But a couple of months ago, my father gave me a locket, I just thought it was an apology for being so distant. I never opened it, he knew I wouldn’t, we had our issues. He told me there might be a day where I would need it, it would be the key to everything. I blew it off as goofy Dad stuff. But this is the key to whatever’s in that box or at the house in Amsterdam.” For the first time James noticed the locket she was wearing. It was a slim silver chain holding a large but elegant silver heart. This was actually the first time he truly appreciated her beauty. He had to admit she wasn’t so bad, actually he was starting to like her. With the moonlight reflecting off the silver of the locket, her face was pensive as she in her white nightgown pried the locket open with her long lavender colored painted nails. James had observed that her nails would have made good weapons. The locket revealed to house a small chip, she quickly handed it to James.

James took the chip, grabbed his MI6 sanctioned phone and put the chip on the phone instantly a video popped up. He looked at Lavender and said “ go get Ronson,” Lavender nodded her head, as she rolled out of bed and knocked at the door adjacent to the bed. “Hey Sebastian come here, we found something,” Lavender cried. The door soon opened and Ronson came in. He stared at both James and Lavender and cried “M won’t be too pleased about this development.”

“ Oh she talked about me,” Lavender asked as she walked over and picked up an elegant but sexy looking white robe off the chair and put it on. James watched her intently, crestfallen Ronson watched James watch her.

“Just a little, she of course never mentioned you were her great niece!”

“Great niece,” questioned Ronson?

“Appears that M has a personal connection to this one,” declared James.

“What,” Ronson cried?

“She would never want her personal feelings to appear as they were getting in the way that’s why I believe she didn’t tell you two,” Lavender stated.

“What’s this information,” Ronson questioned?

“A message from my father,” Lavender cried as James pressed play on the video.

The raspy voice of Lavender’s father could be heard, “Lavender, if you’re hearing this, it means I’m dead. I’m sorry about not always being there. I don’t have much time. I’m part of an organization called Quantum, except if you ask me I believe it’s a part of a larger organization. I originally joined this organization to advance my business interests but I soon discovered this organization was bent on destroying the world and I do not say those words lightly. I have managed to get my hands on some information that if it got out could cause irreparable damage not only to England but to the rest of the world. It is a list of every NATO agent embedded in terrorist organizations across the globe, it is stored in a computer drive. You will find the password to open the drive at the old house in Amsterdam, I know you will know where to look. As for the drive, it is in my safe deposit box at the Swiss bank, you will need both. I will try to reach out to the minister of defense when the time is right to let him know of the existence of this information. I need you to take it to your Aunt Olivia, you probably already know this but through my involvement in this organization I have learned that she is high up in MI6. There is also an agent called Bond, I know he is her favorite maybe he can help, maybe he can protect you, people, dangerous people are after this information. That is all, farewell sweet Lavender, I love you!”

“We have to go get that information and recover the box,” grumbled James.


	5. No Time to Spy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the mission leads James Bond to Amsterdam, he discovers that Lavender is not who she says she is and is hiding a shocking secret! It is also revealed that in an uncharacteristic move that M lied to him!

Chapter Five: No Time to Spy

“The reservation’s under Bond, James Bond,” James bitterly relayed, embarrassed at the White Room restaurant in Amsterdam. He never used cover names. He could not believe how fast this spiraled out of control. He sighed, why couldn’t Lavender had just stayed at the hotel, why did she have to insist on playing spy, being M’s great niece of all things didn’t qualify one to be out in the field. These were the questions pressed against his mind. Earlier in the day, the press had gotten wind that the heiress had been seen in Monaco with a handsome older mysterious blonde man. M though pained by making him break his promise to her, told Bond that he had to appear to be dating her only other living family member for the sake of national security. However, the press nor the public could not know of the impending threat to British national security or what was on the hard drive. And if Bond was revealed as a British agent it was only a short leap to assume that there was indeed a grave and imminent threat to the British homeland. But this could all be prevented if to the press and the world, he was not a British secret agent but the man after Lavender’s heart. Posing as a security guard to Lavender would signal to the world that there was a potential threat to the heiress and that the death of her father and the bombing of the Swiss bank were not random but all connected to a threat to the island nation. MI6 needed the upper hand and absolute secrecy in order to keep the country safe.

To James, this whole charade felt utterly ridiculous and almost childish, though he and Lavender had their passion the night before. But for the sake of duty and queen and country, he decided to go along with the whole ordeal. He glanced bitterly at Ronson, jealous that he did not have to play make believe. For his part, Ronson who had been nursing a small crush on Bond was acting as a guard to Bond’s character. As the world was concerned Bond was not James Bond, the British secret service agent, but rather he was James Bond, Vice President of Universal Exports, a wealthy man that needed a security guard. He turned to see Lavender enter the restaurant with a flash of cameras in the distant, a small mercy to the Casanova spy, the restaurant was closed to the public. She was wearing a silk lavender colored dress, even to the womanizing Bond she looked like the most beautiful creature in the world. Though due to recent events he could barely stand to be in the same room as her. She now reminded hm of Vesper in the worse possible way, he felt that he couldn’t trust her. As she slowly began to walk towards him, his mind wondered off . He began to think of how this whole global charade came to be and how his growing fondness of Lavender was quickly halted..

14 Hours Earlier: Monaco 

“We need to contact M,” Ronson declared after the three, Lavender, James and himself watched Lavender’s father’s last video.

“Best course of action would be just to go to Amsterdam,” retorted Bond. He then turned to Lavender, “how long do you think it will be to get your plane up in the air?”

“I’m not going to tell you, I agree with Seb, you have to check in with Olivia , I can see that she has trouble with you.”

Ronson laughed, “I’m starting to like this girl.”

“Again are you the president of her bloody fan club,” snapped James?

“I think you were trying to fill that position a little while ago,” quipped Lavender as Ronson pulled out a phone and pressed a number. James and Lavender turned their eyes on Ronson as he spoke into the phone, “Tanner, it’s Ronson, patch me through to her.”

A few seconds later, they could hear M’s raspy voice, “Ronson, where in the bloody hell, are you, where’s Bond?”

“He’s right here along with Lavender, whom we just discovered is your great niece!”

“Christ, did she tell you?”

“No, she told Bond.”

“That bloody bastard, I told him to keep it professional.”

“Actually it was my idea , Olivia...”

“Why am I not surprised but what the hell is going on, there are reports of an bomb going off at the Swiss bank, have you made any progress of discovering this information and where it is…,”

“Yes a message from the grave proved to most helpful,” injected James.

“What,” cried M as Ronson turned on the video on the phone so M could see both James and Lavender.

“Sending an enlightening video,” replied James.

“At least the rat bastard was good for something,” mumbled M after she watched the video. “007, you are to go to Amsterdam and retrieve this information, alone.”

“My father told me to go,” argued Lavender.

“Tell Bond, where to look,” snapped back M.

“I told him, it’s behind the portrait, in the living room but I’m going,” explained Lavender.

“No you’re staying, that’s an order, 007 you will go, Ronson you will stay with Lavender.”

“But…,” the three started to protest…

“No buts…this is an order…good luck 007,” declared M as the screen flashed dark.

“I guess I better get going to Amsterdam alone, all by my lonesome,” James declared with a slight wink as he began to get dressed.

Amsterdam: Former House of Jasper Rose:

James Bond glided through the eclectic home of Lavender and her father. He rolled his eyes as he passed by the inhouse yoga studio. As he passed by, what was Lavender’s room, he decided to go in. He smiled when he thought of Lavender. There wasn’t much, candles, posters of celebrities, a save the planet poster and a bookshelf filled with volumes of poetry. However one thing did stick out to him, a large orange almost ugly scrapbook, practically falling off the bookshelf. He quickly snatched the book off of the shelf and began to comb through the book and suddenly it all made sense. This ordeal had never made much sense, neither M’s nor Lavender stories ever fully added up. He knew that night at the opera, Jasper Rose’s picture never matched with the name Jasper Rose. Something about the whole affair seemed off. He would never forget a name, it must have slipped past his mind. Of course that’s why M was so concerned about the death of the bodyguard that day at the opera. He had always wondered why she had severely punished him for doing his job but this was why. He threw down the book almost disgusted with himself that he hadn’t figured it out sooner .

He went to the living room, where there were beads hanging from the windows instead of curtains and large cushions instead of couches. He went to a large elegant portrait of a woman that had mystical brown eyes like Lavender. He proceeded to the portrait. Just as he was about to remove the portrait, shots filled the air, James ducked as he saw a person dressed in black firing at him. As he was about to pull out his Walther PPK, his would be assassin threw a small device, which turned out to be a smoke bomb as plumes of smoke swarmed the room. James was temporarily blinded. Once the smoke cleared out, the person in black was gone and the portrait was cast aside. Coughing James stood up and ran to the hollowed out wall where the portrait once was, nothing was there. He began to run out of the house in search of the thief of the password to the list. Outside, he saw an Audi pull up and Lavender and Ronson got out and stared at him. He stared at them for a moment, “ took you bloody long enough, you missed the show, the password is missing.” Disobeying M’s orders, Lavender and Ronson left on Lavender’s private plane right after James. However, leaving the hotel, they were bombarded by the press asking questions about Lavender and the bombing of the Swiss Bank. Like James, Lavender too wanted to finish out the mission. James was almost annoyed to see them, especially Lavender, though it had always been the plan that they would come.

“You bloody idiot my father was killed for that information, you could have at least put up more of a fight,” she cried hitting his chest. She was very invested in finishing in what was her father’s last wish.

“Jasper Rose or Guy Haines, I’m a little confused,” he snapped.

“He had to change his name because of you,” she revealed. “And everything else for that matter. He was an envoy to the Prime Minister, which he loved and had to return to his business interests, after he was exposed by you at the opera. And he really didn’t change his name it was Jasper Guy Haines. And most of his friend still called him Guy even after the name change. Rose was my mother’s maiden name, M’s sister, my grandmother married a man whose last name was Rose. My father before he went back to his business interests, wasn’t well known, he was kinda of a shadow advisor to the Prime Minister. He was one of those old rich dudes that you don’t really know why they’re rich and you never hear of until something bad happens to them. He actually got famous because of me, I went to Oxford and made a splash, the press wasn’t used to seeing a smart rich girl, who was trying to make her own path, so I became the It girl, though I never wanted it. ”

“But I thought you knew nothing of your father’s involvement in Quantum, he even seem to indicate that in the video?”

“He didn’t know I knew. When he left as special envoy to the Prime Minister and returned to his business interests and changed his name, he told me some bad guys were after him and he had to protect himself. The night after the opera he told my mother everything, about Quantum, the opera and you killing one of his guards, I remember him saying the name Bond that night. They were in their bedroom, I listened through the wall in my room. I never told anyone until M came into my life, I told her. Of course, she already knew being M. I knew from the moment, you grabbed my arm in Zurich, you were MI6 and then you had to do your little Bond James Bond crap. But you had to earn my trust, that wasn’t a lie and I thought you would eventually figure it out.”

“So what game are you playing at? What was that stunt at the hotel last night were you trying to seduce me in order to get information?”

“Oh like you haven’t done that, no I’m a strong independent woman I thought you were cute, I like bad boys, I took a shot. Sue me!”

“I can’t trust a single word you say but I trust no one. You tell M, I’m done protecting you, I’ll go get this list myself, you’re no better than your father,” he cried as he began to stomp away. Suddenly a bright light flashed and the normally secretive British secret agent was brought into the spotlight. Reporters emerge yelling, “Lavender, Lavender, Lavender, is this the man you were with at the casino in Monaco? Lavender are you in love?” James paused in his hasted and turned to give Lavender a quizzical look as to say what the bloody hell did you get me into?

“Christ 007, I knew I should have never put you on this mission, the press is eating it up,” cried M, a few hours later. “Here’s a sample, heiress ‘s new man, Lavender Rose’s May December romance, heiress’ mystery man. You violated the only absolutely inviolate rule in international espionage, which is to not to get caught. And you ended up not only getting caught but photographed.”

“They don’t know who I am or what I do, I don’t exactly call that getting caught.”

“Well now the threat is too great, we can’t have them, the press and the public find out that we are chasing after a hard drive that contains information on a potential attack to the British Homeland and a list of every NATO agent embedded in terrorist organizations across the globe. We would be exposed, sitting ducks, this could surely become the biggest national security crisis in a decade. Your mission for now, against my better judgment, against my every instinct and inclination, is that you are to go along with this charade for now. Act like you are the man that has captured Lavender’s heart while you look for the missing passwords from the house and the safe deposit box.”

“What Lavender? Lavender Rose or Lavender Haines? Why didn’t you tell me who Jasper Rose really was, who Lavender really was?”

“I needed you to protect her and felt if you knew who her father was from the onset you would refuse to protect her and think that she was just like her father. We need that list and password and as you discovered Lavender is the key to all of this. Besides, that morning when I called you into my office, I thought you would have had figured it out then.”

“You know that story is not true. You know I would have done my duty. Your reaction that day at the opera wasn’t about politics, it wasn’t because Guy Haines or Jasper Rose or whatever he decided to call himself was special envoy to the Prime Minister; it was because you were protecting Lavender and her mother all those years ago . You couldn’t bear for me to know the truth.”

“Yes 007, I put family before duty, I swore to my sister I would protect her daughter at every cost, someday 007 I hope you will find someone more important than Queen and country to protect, someone that you would forsake duty and your career for.”

Bond’s mind faded from his conversation with M to the present and almost cruel and childish ambience of the restaurant as Lavender approached him!


End file.
